A Time to Kill . . .

I find today to be an exceptionally sad day. A political science guy in college; I am passionate about government, law, sociology and the rule of law. To wake up to to a story on GMA today where a jury acquits someone for killing two burglars was astonishing.

Joe Horn called 911 when he saw his neighbors house being broken into. In his own home and SAFE from intrusion Mr Horn felt a need to confront the men breaking into the house next door and take justice into his own hands.

Mr Horn was told 13 times, by the 911 operator, not to got outside. He is heard in the 911 call saying; “I am not gonna let them get away with this” “OK, he’s coming out the window right now, I gotta go buddy. I’m sorry, but he’s coming out the window. God they just stole something, I’m goin’ out to look for em. I’m sorry, I ain’t letting them get away with this . . “

What has happened in our country that we need to go out of our way to kill people, to take things into our own hands. The bitterness and anger seems to grow every day. Why are we so angry as to put our lives in danger to take control of our environment? Why is it we are so quick to diminish the value of human life, as if lives of illegal immigrants, or even burglars are less valuable. What is inside us that we are drawn out of the house to kill rather than stay in and avoid.

Mr. Horn was in absolutely no danger sitting in his home. He made a conscience choice to go outside and confront these men. He is heard saying over and over, I’m not going to let them get away with this. Mr. Horn was angry, he was frustrated and on that day those two men were going to pay.

Mr. Horn made a decision and he shot those two men. He should be punished. Mr. Horn created the environment though his actions. He did not need to go outside. But, he did, why? It wasn’t to check things out.

However, what is an even greater concern to me is the Grand Jury’s decision NOT to indite him of a crime. How is it that our society approves of such an action. How is that a city in the United States condones a blatantly active (not passive) decision to put oneself in danger in order to take the law into their own hands.

How did we get here? Where does this lead us? How far will we go? How flimsy will the justifications be in the future? How does our society benefit from this? Who gets to decide? Why . . .

Why are we so angry?

July 2, 2008 |

Comments

10 Comments so far

Bonnie, Sales/Marketing July 3, 2008 5:59 am
Sad story… Chalk one up for the NRA.
Quirkee James July 3, 2008 9:20 pm
I remember this. It happened not far from here in the Houston area. On one hand I can see how an elderly man that is fed up with the crime in his neighborhood would, in the heat of passion, take the law into his own hands. On the other hand, like you said, he was in no immediate danger and this isn’t the Wild West anymore. Let the police track them down.

Take away his age and the threats to kill him in prison (and out) and I see a younger man getting convicted.

Had it been his neighbor that was there while the house was being robbed and shot the two burglars, there would be no case.
keenan, Skiing July 3, 2008 11:34 pm
Quirkee, ya just nailed in on the head. The problem with not indicting him is it is too ambiguous. A younger man gets convicted, a black shooting whites gets convicted, a man shooting a woman gets convicted, etc. It is not what America is all about.

We are a better society than this. I don’t understand why we are so angry. It is sad. We have the greatest lifestyle in the world, yet the bitterness and anger of our society seems to grow year by year.

It’s awful. What are they saying in your neck the woods, Hero or Not?
Quirkee James July 4, 2008 12:40 am
I had forgotten about this case until your post. I’ll see what the local news is reporting.

Another scenario to add to your previous ones - what if Mrs. Joe Horn was the one to come out of her house and try to stop the burglars? If they kept approaching her and she opened fire and killed them would she be indicted? Or would they conclude that she was simply defending herself as a woman against male attackers committing crimes?

There is a huge “what if?” gray area involved in this case. But I agree, we do live in a great society - one that is based heavily in value of personal property (for better or for worse) and value of life. If we all just respected those values then many of these unfortunate scenarios would be avoided.
keenan, Skiing July 4, 2008 8:25 am
If “Mrs.” Horn had come out of her house to stop them, and they approached her and she killed them I don’t think she would have even been charged.

This is my point. By not indicting Joe Horn for ANY crime we deliver a message that what he did was OK. If you read the comments under both video’s many call him a hero. The problem is the exact scenario, with different players, gives you a different outcome. It is the reality of different outcomes based on different players that we DON’T want this country taking the law into their own hands.

What if Mr. Horn were a black man in TX and the burglars were two white college kids? I’m quite sure the response would have been completely different. Completely different.

Yes, we are a society that values property, however it is not what the country was founded on. We’ve added that later in life. We were founded to escape tyranny; tyranny of the gov. and the majority. Our soul as a country can be found in the constitution. A document based in due-process and protection of the minority, not protection of property.

When Joe Horn went outside he circumvented due-process, a key tenant in our identity. Not indicting him erodes a core value in this country and it is a shame.

This country can not be lead by a mob; a mob of 1 or a mob of 1 million. If you listen to Joe Horn’s tone on the 911 tape, he was a mob of one. He cared little for due process and the system of law. This CAN’T be allowed to happen.

To allow the Joe Horns to take the law into their own hands, undermines the very goals of the founding fathers and moves us closer to the very fears that drove their passions.

We can’t forget where we came from! It will be our demise.
Quirkee James July 4, 2008 3:15 pm
Well said, keenan. Totally agree.
jnbammer, Dads July 5, 2008 2:05 pm
If this guy had to “shoot” something, why not a camera? It had to be a gun!?! I don’t get it. I am not anti-guns, but I am anti-stupid. This was just stupid, and I don’t understand why the jury would acquit. Justice is important, but so is making sure the punishment fits the crime.
Antman, Antman July 6, 2008 8:57 am
jnbammer, spot on man. A camera would have been perfect. Had it been the reason they were caught it would have been a better story.

If we wouldn’t use capital punishment for burglary, then how can we allow citizens do it?
Brad Benton July 7, 2008 2:53 pm
WOW… I cannot believe what I am reading!
Everyone is ready to condemn a man for standing up and taking action. It is a sad day when a man sits inside where it is “safe” and does not have the fortitude to take action. Where are the voices speaking out against the no good dirt bags that were breaking into the neighbors house. I was taught a long time ago that there are consequences for my actions. If I were to break into a house and then went after a neighbor with a tire iron because he told me to stop, I would expect that I might get shot. They went after this guy because he came out of his house to confront them. They were in the wrong NOT the man that stood up to them. I cannot believe how WEAK many have become in this country and think that problems are going to go away with their head buried in the sand.
Keenan, I guess I am talking to you, I hope that you just posted this to get a rise out of people. If not I guess I can add you to my list of people that that have laid down in this country. It would be interesting to see what our great-grandfathers would say if they could read this post.
keenan, Skiing July 7, 2008 3:17 pm
Brad,

I can’t recall the last time I was called weak. That is a new one to me! I’m all about taking care of my own. If these punks were breaking into HIS house, I’m with you, they deserved it, blast away. Everyone should be able to protect themselves.

However, they weren’t breaking into HIS house and HIS life was NOT in danger.

Mr Horn started our right as he didn’t do NOTHING he called the police and they were on their way. The problem was he had 911 on the line and went out anyway. The police showed up less than 10 seconds after he blasted em! That is far from nothing. If you listen to the 911 call, Mr. Horn was dead-set on stopping these guys at all costs. That is NOT the way our country works or should work.

It was property, not life or death. The action should be commiserate with the crime as jnbammer commented. Burglary is not a capital offense. Therefore, we don’t want citizens doling out punishments more egregious than our own criminal justice system. If Horn had stayed inside, used a camera, watched from different windows, and gathered as much info as he could they would have been caught. Instead, he felt he needed to play cop himself.

Finally, they were running away, they were BOTH shot in the back. There was NO reason to shoot either, never mind BOTH. Mr. HORN was “dead” set on taking law into his own hands. And I have a problem with that!

If we don’t think, race, age, community, looks, etc play a role in a scenario like the one above we are kidding ourselves, and it is because of these variables we DON’T want citizens playing cop. What next? Can I shoot you if I see you leaving a bar drunk and getting into your. I call the police but they aren’t getting there fast enough. Can I shoot then? What if I see someone speeding in my neighborhood and I know there are kids playing in the street. Can I blast away? It’s simple to me. I don’t trust me, you, or anyone else at that matter to take justice into their own hands and I think our great-grandfathers would agree.